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Insurgents Launch Baqubah Attacks as Fallujah Mop-up Continues

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2004  U.S. soldiers operating in the Iraqi city of Baqubah were attacked today by insurgents using rocket-propelled grenades and small arms.

U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division soldiers were patrolling near the city's Mufrek traffic circle and police station when they came under fire, some of which came from a local mosque.

Iraqi and multinational forces later searched the area around the mosque and found 29 RPG rounds, three RPG launchers, two mortar systems, 10 mortar rounds, and several hundred small-arms rounds.

At about the same time, Baqubah's Buhritz police station also came under insurgent attack. In addition to the two attacks, insurgent forces operating in Baqubah were reported to be emplacing improvised explosive devices and blocking roads.

Local Iraqi government officials have coordinated with Iraqi security forces to keep Baqubah secure.

Four American soldiers were wounded during the attacks. Two of them have been returned to duty.

Elsewhere, the situation in Mosul remains relatively calm, with only isolated attacks occurring in the city.

Special Iraqi Police Commandos and multinational forces repelled a Nov. 14 insurgent attack on Mosul's 4 West Police Station. Anti-Iraqi forces do not occupy or control any police stations in Mosul.

Meanwhile, the mop-up of insurgent forces by U.S. Marines, Army soldiers and Iraqi security forces continues in the city of Fallujah. During a Nov. 14 visit to Fallujah, U.S. Army Gen. John Abizaid declared that U.S., coalition and Iraqi forces had all but finished the insurgent resistance in Fallujah.

"There will be nowhere left for the insurgents to hide," the chief of U.S. Central Command vowed, noting, "We will fight them until there are none of them left to fight."